Wire-stitching machine.



\ J. W. NASMITH.

WIRE STITCHING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED'JUNE 12,1911;

Patented May 28,1918.

INVENT R'- JOHN WILLIAM nasnirn, or sroo ironr, nnernnnn.

winn-s'rrrcnine Mach ne.

Specification of Letters Patent. 25, 191% Application fi-ledJ'une 12,1917. Serial No. 174,236..

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN WILLIAM NAV- SMITH, of Stockport, England, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Stitching Machines,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the clenching mechanism in use on wirestitching machines for clenching the legs of the staples after they havebeen driven through the material and more particularly to. thatlrind ofwire stitching machine known as a corner stitcher in which a wirestapleis driven around the corner of a box ofcardboard or other material. In such a machine the legs of the staple,preparatory toclenching, should be at right angles to instead of parallel to eachother as in the flat stitch. The more the legs of the staple have to beforced from the parallel direction the more diflicult it becomes tocause them to take the proper direction owing to the spring of the wireand the more difficult] it is to clench them correctly, as they tendtomeet the clencher block directly at ri ht angles and are more frequently crus d or bent the wrong way.

The object of my invention is to obviate these defects by providing aclencher so made that the legs in passing through the material cannotmeet the clencher block at right angles and suchthat' the clenchingblock graduallyalters its angle in the processof clenching and has afolding action on the legs of the staple.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood a sheet ofdrawings is appended in which- Figures 1 to 4 illustrate mechanism andits defects.

Fig. 5, illustrates my improved mechanism as it appears just asclenching is about to begin and, I

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5, illustrating themechanism as itappears when the existing the clench is completed.

Fig. 7 illustrates alternative means for limiting the movement of theclenchers to their clenching position.

Fig. 8 is a front view of shown by Figs. 5 and 6.

Fig. 9 is a section on line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

In Fig. 1 the staplelegs 1, are shown in their theoretical position, buttheir natural tendency, due to the spring ofthe wire is to take thedirection shown by the dotted lines 2. The faces 3 of the ordinaryclenching plunger 4 are formed at right angles to each the plunger otheras shown and are roughened so as to hold the end ofthe wire and force itaround to the clenched position shown in Fig. 2 and it will heunderstoodthat the rain R which has driven the staple remains pressing on it untilclenched. But it frequently happens that the staple legs are crushed asshown on the left of Fig. 3 or distorted as on the right. If the plungerface does not hold the wire, the legs. are clenched the wrong way. as inFig. fl. To obviate these defects loose clencherblocks have been usedwhich have been hinged on the plunger and each provided With a pinrunning in a shaped groove in the front plate which caused the faces, asthey moved upward to clench, to move slightly toward the center. Butthemovement so obtainable is insufficient' to obtain the desired resultwith certainty.

Fig. 5 shows the preferred embodiment of my invention with its parts inposition when clenching is about to commence, the front plate beingremoved. The plunger 5 is forced up and; down or reciprocated in theusual way at the proper momentand slides in a relatively wide groove 6"in the fixed guiding plate 6 and has formed on its back a relatively.narrow rib 7 Figs. 8 and 9 fitting ina narrower groove 6 in the plate6.

- This narrow rib 7 projects somewhat beyond the broader main part ofthe plunger .5. As nearthe top and as near the longitudinal center ofthis narrow rib 7, as is possible without weakening the construction,two pins 8, are fixed, upon which are hinged at their inner endstheloose clencher blocks 9, said pinsbeing at opposite sides of andequidistant from said longitudinal center 9. When the plunger 5 is inits lowest position the upper or clenching faces of the two blocks arecompelled, asdescribed be low, to assume approximately a horizontal lineso that when the legs are not at right angles to each other, as isalways the case, but tending toward the parallel as shown by the dottedlines 11, they will strike the clenching faces of the blocks at an anglewhich causes them to bend in the desired direction. Formed on eachclencher block is a projection 12 which rests ona ledge 13 formed on theplate 6, while the vertical face of each block rests against the innerface of the wider grooveG in the plate 6, the ledges groove. The objectof these projections 12 center and to assume a wide V shape.

and ledges 13 is two fold; when the plunger rises to clench, carryingwith it the inner 9 to pivot and slide on, so that the transi-v tion ofthe clenching faces from the horizontal position to the angular positionFig. 6 is gradual, the clenching faces swinging approximately as radiion the points of the projections 12 as centers.

When the plunger again descends the ledges and projections compel thefaces to assume the horizontal position. By suitably forming the blocks,the two upper clenching faces, insteadof forming a horizontal line,maybe caused to dip slightly below it at lthe he top end of the-broadermain part of the plunger 5, shown by Figs. 5 and 6, is made to form 'a'right-angled shoulder'14, constituting a stop and the lower part of eachclencher block has a flattened face 15 parallel to the clenching face.The object of the stop 14 and faces 15 is to insure that when theplunger has'risen, the faces 15 will abut on the stop 14 and prevent theclenching faces of the blocks 9 from assuming toward one another anangle less than a right angle, and also to insure that this right angleshall be bisected by the center line of the plunger, the clenchingfacesbeing therefore properly centralized. When the staple has beendriven the plunger 5 is forced upward and the blocks gradually assumethe'position shown in Fig. 6, withtheir clenching faces at right anglesto each other. Other means to limit thefall or swinging movement of theblocks to their clenching position may be used in place of the stop 14and the faces 15, as for instance, a central pin or stop 14 on the"rib7, Fig. 7, and corresponding notches or recessed faces in each block9.

In the manner described, the legs of the staples are first given aproper direction as they emerge inside the box into which they aredriven, and are then folded gradually over with certainty and properlyclenched without crushing or distortion.

' Claims: I

'1. In a clenching apparatus for corner stitchers, the combination of apair ofloose clencher blocks having clenching faces, and

block-operating mechanism having means formaintaining said clenchingfaces approximately in alinement with each other at the commencement ofthe clenching operation and for causingsaid faces to gradually assume aposition at right angles with each other as the clenching operationproceeds.

2. In a clenching apparatus for corner stitchers, the combination ofapair of loose clencher blocks having clenching faces, andblock-operating mechanism "having means for maintaining said clenchingfaces approximately in alinement with each other at the commencement ofthe clenching operation and for causing said faces to gradually assume aposition at right angles with each other as the clenching operationproceeds, said mechanism including a reciprocating plunger to which theclencher blocks are pivoted at points close to the upper end and thecenter line of said plunger, and at opposite sides of and equidistantfrom said center line.

3. A clenching apparatus embodying the combination specified by claim 1,said mechanism including a reciprocating plunger to which the clencherblocks are pivoted, and means for supporting the outer ends of theclencher blocks, during the clenching operation, said means havingprovisions for positively compelling a gradual change of the clenchingfaces from their alined position to their angular position when theplunger rises, and forpositivcly compelling agradual change of'the saidfaces from their angular position to their alined position when theplunger descends.

4. Aclenching apparatus embodying the combinationspecified by claim1,'said mechanism including a reciprocating plunger to which theclencher blocks are pivoted, and means for limiting theswinging-movement of the blocks to their clenching position to preventtheir clenching faces'assuming less than a right angle relatively toeach other, and to maintain said faces properly centralized.

5. In a clenching apparatus for wire stitchers, the combination of afixed guiding plate having longitudinally extending guiding means andtransverse ledges, a reciprocating plunger guided by said guiding means,and clencher blocks pivoted to one end portion of said plunger andprovided with clenching faces, and with projections cooperating withsaid ledges.

6. In a clenching apparatus for wire stitchers, the combination of afixed guiding plate having longitudinally extending guiding means andtransverse ledges, a reciprocating plunger guided by said guiding means,and clencher blocks pivoted to one end. portion of said plunger andprovided with clenching faces, and with projections cooperating withsaid ledges, the plunger JOHN WILLIAM NASMITH.

. Witnesses:

D. Lowe, A. I'IAMILTON.

' Copies of this patent may be obtained for five eentseach, byaddressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

